OnePeople

Congressional Debate Begins on War Resolution

CNN characterized the Democratic response to the President's draft resolution a little more forcefully today: "immediate criticism from Senate Democratic leaders even as they continued to back Bush's contention that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States." CNN also mentions Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Michigan) as saying that both Democrats and Republicans want changes to the language. Levin is specifically worried about unilateralism, saying "I want him to look down the barrel of a gun with the world behind it, so that it's not just the United States versus Saddam, it's the world versus Saddam." Levin is also concerned with the vague language of the resolution, "There needs to be some changes ... it's not even limited to Iraq." Senator Joe Biden (D-Delaware), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, likewise cited the use of the word "region" in the resolution, which he considered too broad a mandate. Based on the Republican responses, this language will likely change.

CNN wasn't able to cite any Republicans as explicitly requiring a UN resoultion before action, quoting most as being worried about restricting the President's freedom of movement. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) goes so far as the say that Saddam Hussein represents a "clear and present danger" to the United States.

The AP, for its part, described the varied Republican responses to the Democrat's objections: Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) called the Democratic objects "specious", and Senator John Kyl (R-Arizona) predicted the bill would pass. The AP picked up an important sentiment that CNN missed: that the resolution would pass, but that the President needs to work harder to sell his plan to the Hill: "we haven't told [the American people] all of the story yet."